Coca-Cola is under fire for drastically reducing its sustainability goals. This is a big blow to the environment, as the company has long been one of the top plastic polluters in the world.
What's happening?
Coca-Cola announced it will try to use 35% to 40% recycled material in its packaging by 2035. This might sound good, but it previously pledged to use 50% recycled material by 2030.
The company also announced drastic reductions to its recycling pledges. After stating it wanted to recycle every bottle it produced by 2030, it says it will recycle only 70% to 75% of bottles and cans.
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Experts, environmental activists, and everyday people are all understandably horrified. Matt Littlejohn, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at Oceana, blasted the announcement, saying, "Coca-Cola's decision … is short-sighted, irresponsible, and worthy of widespread condemnation by its customers, its employees, its investors[,] and governments worried about the impact of plastics on our oceans and health."
Commenters on a CNN article about the changes are also furious. "It's almost becoming funny how blatant corporations are admitting that [their] only purpose is profit," one quipped, while another had a simple solution: "Boycott Coke until they relent. Remember, the weakest part of the corporate body is its pocketbook."
Why is Coca-Cola's decision concerning?
Coca-Cola's decision to abandon its stated sustainability goals comes at a precarious time for the planet. Plastic waste is a growing, catastrophic problem.
"Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world's oceans, rivers, and lakes," according to the U.N. Environment Programme. This pollution alters the world's food production as well as the general health of the global population.
Studies show that microplastics are increasingly found in our bloodstreams. NPR reported "microplastics are 'suspected' to harm human reproductive, digestive and respiratory health, with a possible link to colon and lung cancer."
They are also negatively impacting ecosystems. For instance, microplastics have been found to transport bacteria and viruses around the globe that normally wouldn't survive an ocean journey.
What's being done about plastic pollution?
The good news is dedicated researchers continue their exhaustive work to find solutions to our plastic problem. A recent study showed how scientists figured out a way to break down a common plastic polymer in months rather than decades. Another exciting report found that an insect in Kenya helps break down plastic.
As always, it is important we educate ourselves about the dangers of greenwashing. In the face of this decision, an informed public may not be so quick to hand a massive corporation such as Coca-Cola their money until it makes sustainability practices a priority.
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